"Love never
fails." (1 Corinthians 13:8a NIV)
If you fail someone, you have no love. Love
cannot change. Love is always trusty. Love always care. It, "...never
fails." (1 Corinthians 13:8a NIV)
When we pass a lonely person in need of money,
give it to him or her. Buy them a burger. Make it a meal deal. That
shows real love.
One day my wife was in the mall. A homeless
man came up to her and asked for money. My wife gave him a Canadian
Tooney (a two dollar coin). She felt bad about giving him so little, but
it was all the cash she had with her. She ran into the same man a bit
later in the mall, and he had a bottle of vitamin water in his hand. He
saw her and smiled: "I wanted to make sure I got my vitamins!" he said.
My wife, however, could see that he looked
hungry. Vitamins were a good choice, but they weren't likely to take
away his hunger pains. She still didn't have any cash on her, however;
so instead of giving him more money, she took him down to the food
court. The only place still open, as the mall was closing, was the A&W.
She started to order him a burger, but then she changed her mind: "Make
it a meal deal," she told the server, and she paid for the meal with her
credit card.
The homeless man was grateful, and my wife was
able to share the good news of Jesus with him.
Why would she go to all that trouble? After
all, she had already given him all of her cash... She took him to the
food court because she knows the true love "...never fails" (1 Cor.
13:8a NIV)
It reminds me of a Bible story. When a lame
man asked Peter for money, Peter knew that love never fails. He didn't
have any money to give the man, so he gave him something far better
instead:
"One day Peter and John were going up to the
temple at the time of prayer--at three in the afternoon. Now a man who
was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called
Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the
temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them
for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said,
'Look at us!' So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get
something from them. Then Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but
what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
walk.' Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the
man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to
walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and
jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and
praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit
begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with
wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." (Acts 3:1-10 NET)
Even though he had no money, Peter was able to
do something far more important for this man. He accessed the power of
the Risen King and the lame man was healed. Why did Peter do this?
Because he knew that love never fails!
If you have love that never fails, you can do
miracles like these as well. All you need to do is believe in God's
unfailing love and be obedient to what God is leading you to do. God
does the rest! Isn't that amazing?
Proverbs tell us to, "Trust in the LORD with
all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways
submit to him, and he will make your paths straight and lean not on your
own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your
paths straight." (Prov. 3:5-6 NIV)
With God's unfailing love in our hearts, the
rest is easy!
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.